Abnormal screening result explained through an interpreter
AMC Clinical practice station
Counselling & explanation · 2 min to read · 8 min to perform
Explain the result and what happens next, and answer her questions.
Anjali VermaHello doctor. The letter says I must come. I am very worried.
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Open the full station (charts, voice, result letter) →The task
You are a doctor in a general practice. Mrs Anjali Verma, aged 41, has come to hear the result of her cervical screening test taken two weeks ago. She speaks limited English, and a telephone interpreter for Hindi has been connected on speaker. Her husband is waiting outside. The laboratory report in front of you shows human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 detected, with low-grade changes on the cell test that followed. Explain the result and what happens next, and answer her questions. There is no need to examine her. The examiner will not take part in the conversation.
What this station tests
- Use a professional interpreter and speak to the patient directly; do not use a family member.
- A high-risk HPV type means referral to colposcopy, not routine repeat screening and not reassurance alone.
- Name the stigma: HPV is common, can lie dormant for years, and its timing cannot be known.
- Say plainly that the result is not a cancer diagnosis, and why follow-up matters.
- Check understanding with teach-back through the interpreter and document it.
Sources for the clinical content
- Department of Health and Aged Care: National Cervical Screening Program
- Cancer Council Australia: Clinical guidelines for cervical cancer screening
- TIS National: Tips for using an interpreter
- Medical Board of Australia: Good medical practice, a code of conduct for doctors in Australia
An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.